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What is code for the fire rating for a garage attic?
Monday, July 27, 2020
Most attached garages have a ceiling secured to the bottom chord of the roof trusses or ceiling rafters, and the ceiling must minimum be 1/2” drywall or equivalent. Any attic access opening panels must also be 1/2” drywall or equivalent. These requirements do not apply to detached garages.
This is part of multiple requirements for “Dwelling-Garage Separation” for an attached garage in the International Residential Code (IRC) and the Residential Edition of the Florida Building Code (FBC). While not called a “fire rating,” the specs are intended to create a fire barrier to reduce the spread of a fire from an attached garage to the living area of a home. To learn about the other garage fire separation requirements, go to our blog post What are the code requirements for fire separation between an attached garage and the house?
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Here’s links to a collection of some of our other blog posts about GARAGES AND CARPORTS:
• What is the difference between a carport and a garage?
• Why is my garage ceiling sagging?
• Why are there score line grooves in the concrete floor of the garage?
• What are the common problems when a homeowner converts a garage to conditioned living space, such as a family room?
• What are the code requirements for fire separation between an attached garage and the house?
• Can a bedroom door open into the garage?
• How far apart should electric receptacle outlets be placed in a garage?
• Why if the garage door track a white tube?
• What is the raised metal plate on the floor under the garage door?
• Why do I have to hold down the button to close the garage door?
• How can I check my garage door to make sure it is safe?
• What does a home inspector check on an electric garage door?
• Can the a garage door header bracket and torsion springs be mounted through drywall?
• How can I tell if cracks in the garage floor are a problem or not?
• Is tempered/safety glass required by the building code for windows and doors?
• Why can't I use my home's central air conditioning system to cool the garage?
• What is the unusual garage door opener mounted on the wall above the door and marked "Wayne Dalton”?
• When were GFCI receptacle outlets first required in the garage?
• Why are most pull-down attic ladders not approved by building code for installation in a garage?
• Is the wood anchor pad for a garage door rail and torsion spring supposed to be nailed or bolted to the wall?
• Is a ceiling receptacle outlet for a garage door opener required to be GFCI protected?
Visit our STRUCTURE AND ROOMS page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.
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